Portable compartment and collapsible frame for same



Nov. 28, 1950 E. c. GLEDHILL PORTABLE COMPARTMENT AND COLLAPSIBLE FRAME FOR SAME Filed Feb. 19, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 28, 1950 E. c. GLEDHILL 2,531,678

PORTABLE COMPARTMENT AND COLLAPSIBLE FRAME FUR SAME Filed Feb. 19, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. 6, Glad/112 Z MMflii a Nov. 28, 1950 E. c. GLEDHILL PORTABLE COMPARTMENT AND COLLAPSIBLE FRAME FOR SAME Filed Feb, 19, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet- 3 slum kmw

Nov. 28, 1950 E. c. GLEDHILL 2,531,678

PORTABLE COMPARTMENT AND COLLAPSIBLE FRAME FOR SAME Filed Feb. 19, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Qwucmlom Ea'GZeJ/ziZZ MM fliiys.

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE COMPARTMENT AND COLLAPS- IBLE FRAME FOR SAME Edward C. Gledhill, Galion, Ohio Application February 19, 1948, Serial No. 9,384

2 Claims. 1

My invention, relates to a portable sleeping compartment or bag and combination dressing room and collapsible frame for same, in which the frame is provided with a flexible sheet or canvas cover over the sleeping compartment or bag forming a waterproof and weatherproof canopy or roof and sides for both the compartment and room collapsible with the frame when not in use to substantially eliminate or reduce wind resistance when traveling, but adapted to be extended or raised for use and to provide ample head room over both and especially when standing in the dressing room, as well as to render the same sufficiently rigid to be wind and rain resistant.

An object is to provide a lightweight simple, novel and inexpensive portable and collapsible sleeping compartment or bag with or without an associated dressing room or compartment as an adjunct thereof, for application to a vehicle such as an automobile or trailer, as a convenience in traveling or touring by providing a covered sleeping compartment with a horizontal support plate or floor forming the bottom thereof to take a spring and mattress or simply the latter, and a dressing room with an entrance and through which access is had to the sleeping compartment, while permitting a person to stand while dressing, undressing, shaving and so on.

Another object is to provide novel means in the form of a collapsible arched support or frame having a plurality of spaced arches or bows, produced by an inflatable hose which when deflated collapses, and when inflated at the proper pressure through an inflation valve provided thereon, will assume a rigid erect extended or raised position together with the canopy or cover thereover with the overlying sections of the hose bowed or arched to support the canopy over a spring and mattress of the sleeping compartment and a dressing room at one end, which is wind and rain resistant and permits one to walk into and out of the dressing room without stooping by means of a door and split curtains over the door for closing the entrance end over the door for warmth and privacy or providing an opening for air and ventilation.

Still another object is to provide a sleeping compartment of the type or construction set forth above, which may be used independently of or separate and apart from the dressing room, in addition to the conjoint use on the top and in the rear trunk compartment of an automobile or mounted on two or more wheels or a wheeled vehicle such as a trailer, or without the dressing room, over the cab and engine hood of a motor truck or the like purely as a sleeping berth.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the device as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation partly broken away and in section, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a collapsible arched support or frame used to support the canopy shown in an extended or raised position, partly broken away and in section,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section a of the rear portion of the sleeping compartment and dressing room taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2,

Figures 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary detailed horizontal sections taken respectively on lines 'l-'! and 8-8 of Figure 3; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail horizontal section of the rear portion of the dressing room and the closure therefor taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the device is shown as comprising a horizontal support, plate or floor in adapted to be supported upon a suitable wheeled or motor vehicle or on two or more wheels H such as an automobile or trailer, the vehicle being represented for sake of illustration as an automobile having a body or top 113 with a trunk compartment l4 formed by vertical walls l5 with the sides thereof and a floor [6 of any conventional or desired type. Floor l0 may if desired have a shallow upstanding rim or panel I! extending entirely along the sides and one end while the other end may be cut out at the center or otherwise as at l8 for a door entrance and forming short panel sections 19 at each side.

Arranged upon the horizontal support [0 is a collapsible and extensible cover including a collapsible frame or arched support 20 shown as comprising a single continuous section of inflatable air tight hose 2| of proper length such as 58' or otherwise having at one end a fitting 22 with an inflation valve 23 and closed air tight at the other end as by a fitting 24. The hose 2i has the ends just described arranged at opposite sides and diagonally opposite corners and intermediately is bent to form a plurality of transverse longitudinally spaced parallel upwardly extending vertical raised portions, arches or bows 25 of any suitable number, but shown as five including those at the extreme ends of the support Hi. The hose 2! is arranged or bent in tortuous or sinuous form at right angles at two spaced points 26 at alternately opposite sides between adjacent pairs of arches or bows 25 to form spaced horizontally extending connecting portions 2? between the bends or right angular portions 26 which are also located alternately at opposite sides to form base or supporting portions resting on the support Hi within and at the bot,- tom of the rim ll. These portions 2'6 or the adjacent vertical portions may be suitably anchored in position and as shown, the lower portions of the vertical extensions or legs of the arches or bows 25 are attached to the base formed by the support it and rim El and anchored to the floor Q1? her ise as b a u l ty. ref r y pairs ver y s a ed huhpqr s r 1 95 8 exc p that a single clip may be used at each end above e tt n 22 a d 4- t e d s 2 ma b htred t h im H a th ins de to a a n the legs and arches or bows in upright position he the here is inflated t h P ime ihihs pressure to make the same rig-id. However, when th bets is de at a the ar hes or o w l lapse downwardly in compact relation automaticall v n a diti n to assumin t i v c supc r hs o i qhs. au matit hen t hose i inflated. In the latter position, the arches or iQW of th pph tih s r ct re r f m a designed to take a waterprooi canopy or flexible thee-t wh c is s a a h t-dorm o the c v titre f the a c an xten o t si and of he leeping compa tmen t us d- The compartment is thus an elongated horizontal thswhhh tru tu e f sufiic e l n h to a mhttdat Per on. n a r in ng po ion an a rine an attr ss. h p op r bed ri a d pillow or simply a mattress so covered may be rrhhssd her in new h hor n a up o t flee tar he q itor o e uteri A one end! such as at the baclg, the canopy 29 may be proiihd With a erti al s t r openi 3.0 o pr id urt ins t on eith s de thereof hic ay b suitably fastened when closed; or unfastened or opened and swung to either side to facilitate ingress and egress with respect to the compart- The device as thus described may be arranged on or to form part of a trailer or over the cab and engine hood oi a motor truck or otherwise suitably arranged and mounted upon wheels for transport from place to place in traveling. However, as shown, the device is arranged over the top orbody- !3 of the automobile with suitable transverse cleats, 32 to bear upon the top of the bodyand having suitable vertical supports 33 at spaced intervals of the length thereof and which include attaching means or suction cups 34, or other suitable anchoring means forattaching the same to the body securely so as to prevent displacement thereof.

Also, the rear portion of the floor of the compartment represented bythe horizontal support,

is may be provided with an opening or cut-out 35- disposed over the trunk compartment and from which depends an inner wall 36 and side walls it's, while the sections is of the rim i'l may be continued downwardly or supplemented by side walls or strips and all connected at the bottom by a flooring 39 leaving the opening 35:

estenfi-it s through the back end and adapted to 4 be closed by a closure or door 40. This door is shown hinged at H at one side and provided with a suitable latch or lock 42 at the other side whereby the dressing room thus formed at the rear end of the sleeping compartment may be closed and locked for security and privacy. It should also be noted that the depending extension thus formed at the rear of the sleeping compartment extends down into the trunk compartment so that the floor 39 rests upon the floor l6 of the trunk compartment, it being understood that the door of the trunk compartment is removed to accomodate these parts. The dressing room thus provided is of sufficient height to accommodate a person in standing position when dressing, undressing, shaving, etc., and the horizontal side walls produced at each side of the cut-out 35 and extending from the inner edge of the cut-out to the rear end of the floor or support it at w i h th y te m a rt and a o t that en 0:? the dre i room r vide shalt S e Q h h n e it o act sstr s may be uppered in onv nien o it on for u e Alta the floor of the dressing room may be suitably secured or bolted to the floor of the trun corn: h tmeh to c pe t wi the a in m ans for the sleeping compartment for the purpose of a e ahthm' hs d c i si i n and resisting wind. However, since the device is set, up only when in use or overnight, it is readily oll s d by d l ng e h se f r r elin to s th s bst n lly elimin e or reduce w n reqe hen he hit h s h' e hs- Als the t hop is 0 a e h i m t a i w l n his. e tf h ahd e i tant bu w ll. u c icle the ess ry wa mth nd rrivac when. the

da l es i i use alth gh. h curt i s inevbe.

ead ly t rown o n in rd r t permi ne esq entilati n nd exphs te to a r or atm s phtt de i ed Q1" ne e When the arched frame structure formed by h hi i h nflatable h se or inflatable portions. thereof are filled with air at the proper pressure, the same is, not only rigid but there is also sufficient room over the horizontal base or support and QVB F the mattress to. permit a person to, crawl in and out without. particular inconvenience. Access. to. and from the sleeping compartment is. also facilitated by the dressing room in which a person can stand and especially the cut-rout. or recess in the bottom of the compart ment. at one end. The device is of great convenience for use at night or otherwise when traveling, or in an emergency and due to its light weight, may be easily. carried along with a vehicle fortransport or in connection with an automobile and when collapsed, very little wind resistance. is encountered. The inflation and deflation of the hose may be accomplished in a minutes time to cause automatic extension and raising of the frame of the sleeping compartment and the canopy or canvas cover therewith, and also collapsing thereof by deflation. Thedevice may be 'eqiupped with a suitable heater employing electricity or fuel oil which may be provided with a suitable control or thermostat to regulate the temperature. The shelves at the sides of thecut-out mayalso be. equipped with a bowl for washing and water supplied through a faucet from a supply tank in the vehicle or trunk compartment of an automobile placed under pressure tocause the water to flow andanother tank may be similarly arranged carry ing air under high pressure for inflating-the hose forming the frame or portions thereof, espe cially the arches or bows, to efiect the extension and collapsing of the sleeping compartment or bag.

I do not mean to confine myself tothe exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A compartment of the class described comprising a horizontal support including a flat plate having upstanding side and end walls, a collapsible frame mounted on said support, said frame including an elongated inflatable member having the ends thereof secured at diagonally opposed corners of said support, said member having intermediate spaced portions thereof disposed along the inside of said side walls, vertically opening clamps secured to said side walls and adapted to clamp said member at the opposite ends of said intermediate portions, conditional portions of the length of said member between said intermediate portions being disposed in arched form in transverse relation across said support, said clamps disposing said additional portions of said length in vertically extending relation to said support, and a moisture repellant cover extending over said frame and secured to said walls whereby when said member is inflated said lengths will be disposed in rigid upright position of supporting said cover.

2. A compartment of the class described comprising a supporting base including a horizontal floor member and upstanding side and end flanges formed thereon, a collapsible frame mounted on said base, said frame including an elongated inflatable member having spaced horizontal portions thereof disposed in alternate relation along the opposite side flanges, clamps secured to said side flanges engaging said inflatable member at the opposite ends of said spaced portions thereof and adapted to bend said ends to ,an upright position, the portions of the length REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,964,818 Hood July 3, 1934 1,984,681 Jackson Dec. 18, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,552 Great Britain May 26, 1900 

